ABC Telecasts Bookend 17-Event Schedule

Dave Lewandowski

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

The 17-event (18 races) IZOD IndyCar Series season will kick off and culminate with race broadcasts on ABC -- the March 27 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and the Oct. 16 IZOD INDYCAR World Championships at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

In between, the network will telecast three exciting races -- the 100th anniversary running of the Indianapolis 500 plus the IZOD IndyCar Series return to The Milwaukee Mile and New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Marty Reid and Scott Goodyear will be in the broadcast booth, with Rick DeBruhl, Jamie Little and Vince Welch the pit posse. Eddie Cheever Jr. and Jerry Punch again will join the crew for the Indianapolis 500, and Cheever will return for the season finale on the 1.5-mile, high-banked Las Vegas oval.

"Being the first race of the season is such a great way to continue to be the world’s fastest spring break party, and what better way to launch the IndyCar season?" event vice president and general manager Tim Ramsberger said. "We think it’s a great recipe for a special event that positions racing at its centerpiece but yet offers up so much more in a three-day festival environment."

VERSUS, entering its third year of being INDYCAR's exclusive cable network home, will broadcast the balance of the schedule along with Indy 500 qualifications and Carb Day activities. Its broadcast team will be announced soon.

On Feb. 21, the Speedway announced a noon start to the '500,' which is an hour earlier than the past five years.

"With less than 100 days until the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500, we are excited to finalize our start time so our fans can begin to make plans to celebrate with us at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway," said Jeff Belskus, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation president and CEO. "Starting the race at noon gives us an additional hour of daylight to ensure we can complete all 500 miles of the race in case we were to encounter any kind of inclement weather. Noon also has the green flag waving in a time slot that is better for our West Coast viewers.

"Our fans also have told us they like an earlier starting time, and it's very important for us to stay responsive to their vital feedback."